Antiskid chain



Aug. 25, 1925. 5 1,551,266

F. D. RUCKMAN ANTISKID CHAINl Filed Feb. 16. 1924 Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRED D. RUGKMAN, or CLEVELAND, omo.

AN'rrsxID CHAIN. Y

Application filed February 16,1924., Serial No. 693,207. i

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FnED l). lltuoitMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Antiskid Chains,l

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings. A

This invention is directed to antiskid devices for vehicles and has for its general object the provision of an anti-skid chain construction the sections 'of which may be readily assembled or taken apart without necessitating the use of tools or special dey vices.

A furtherV object of my invention is the provision of a link lock which may be readily embodiedA in an anti-skid chain of the well known commercial type, which when once the chain sections are assembled, will serve to prevent disengagementof the chain sections from the circumferential stretches of the chain. A still further object is the provision of a detachable Vchain connection which `may be of such characterr as, to be readily disconnected from both the transverse and circumferential chain stretches and which may be conveniently manufactured.

Other objects of my invention will hereinafter be set forth in the yfollowing description referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

y In the drawings Fig. l 1s a fragmentary side elevation of an antiskid chain em- .v Vbodying my invention and illustrated in position upona vehicle tire; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion ofthe circumferential chain stretches and a chain section lock associated therewith; Fig. 3 is a view of the circumferential chain link illustrated in Fig. 2 with an adjacent engaging link displaced to permit the assembling and locking of an anti-skidfsection of chain to be connected thereto; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred form of link locking means.

Considerable difficulty is experienced by users of antifskidv devices when it is attempted to replace a worn-out or broken anti-skid section of chain in that when it is desired to replace the chain sections, it is necessary to separate the' links connecting them to the circumferential portions of the anti-skid chain by the use of a tool. My invention contemplates theV provision of a very simple and effective connection between the transverse chain portions and the circumferential chain stretches whereby these transverse chain stretches, usually com` pri'sing hardened steel links, may be readily replaced by simply manually disconnecting an intermediate link which joins them to the circumferential chain stretches. In fulfilling this provision, however, I have been mindful of the commercial requirement that the transverse chain stretches, wheny once attached to the circumferential stretches, must be prevented from disconnection under severe traction conditions. Y

The convenient manner of accomplishing the foregoing is illustrated in the drawings wherein chainy stretches l0 may comprise links of the usual construction for the circumferential chain stretches, while the antiskid links of the stretches 1l may be formed of tempered steel as is the commercial prac` tice and these respective chain stretches may be connected by detachable links l2 prefers ably formed of spring wire having a tensile strength equal to the tensile strength of the vlinks comprising the'stretches 11. The links 14* of the circumferential chain, to which the detachable links 12 connect the transverse chain stretches 1l, are provided with locking plates l5 which prevent the disens gagement ofthe links 12 from the links 14 when once placed in engagement therewith. The lock plates l5 may comprise U-shaped pieces of metal, such as are illustrated in perspective in Fig. 5, of a width corresponding to substantially the major portion of the length offcircumferential links comprising the chains l0 and may be permanently attached thereto in the manner shown in Fig.rv a, bythe use of convenient apparatusV such as a punch press whereby the lock plates 15 may pivot within certain limits upon the link sections 14a of the links 14, The connecting links 12 are of suflicient length whereby the free ends thereof comprising the hooks 17, may be manually compressed together as illustrated by the dot and Vdash lines 1S in Fig. 3.

The manner of attaching and detaching the link stretches l1 to the circumferential chain stretches comprising the links l0 and lll, may be effected as follows. The link 10a of the circumferential chain stretch `which is adjacent to a link 1liinay be'shifted relative to the link 1e to the position shown in Fig. 3. The connectinglink 12 niaythen have its free or hook ends compressed together manually whereupon the hooks may i be brought into engagementl with the link lll. The connecting link 12 may then be swung around the link 14 until the hook ends thereof slide over the plate to the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The circumferential link 10 may then be shifted around to its normal position, illustrated in Figs. 1- and 2, whereupon the connecting link 12 is limited in its shifting movement relative to the link 14; and is prevented from sliding olf the lock plate 1,5 by an end portion of the link 1st or link` 10a. The relation of the hook ends 17 to the lock plate 15 may of course be such that the dimension of the opening of the hooks is less than the diameter of the wire forming the link 14C plus twice the thickness of the metal forming the lock plate 15. It will be obvious therefore that the connecting link 1,2 cannot be disconnected from the circumferential link 14 without shifting the link 102t to the position shown in Fig. 3 which, ofv

course, i vould beii'npossible when once the anti-skid chain is assembled upon a vehicle tire.

From the foregoing description of my invention, it will be apparent that by providing certain of the links of the circumferential lchain stretches of an anti-skid chain with lock plates lupon which detachable links having open ends may be mounted by sliding the open orhookedends ofthe connecting links ciiciiinferentially, that it Vis Y possible to manually connect the Atransverse chain stretches or to disconnect such chain stretches to or fioin Y the circumferential chain stretches, without the use of tools. Furthermore, the shape of the detachable connecting links between the `transverse chain stretches and circumferential chain stretches is such thatthey may be readily detached fromthe and links of theftlransverse ychain stretches without necessitating the spreading of any of the links with a tool. f

I eleml Y V1v. ln anti-skid device comprising a plurality ofcircuinfeiential chain stretches, transverse chain stretches, and Ydetachable links connecting` the ends of the transverse chain stretches to the circumferential chain stretches, lock plates carried by several of the links of vthe circumferential chain stretches adapted to be manually placed in engagement with said detachable links, the

.lock plates serving to prevent disengagement of the detachable 'links only when the device is operatively mounted upon a veliicieetiie.

2; ln an kanti-skid device of the character '(lesei'ibecl, a chain lock comprising an env pjeinianently cari/fied by the closed link permitting a sliding movementof the hook link Atheieovei wherebyA the open endsl of the liorliks may be disengaged from the closed lin t. A

4l. ln an anti-skid device comprising circumferential chain stretches, transverse chain` stretches and detachable links connecting the ends of the transverse'chain stretches to the circumferential chain Stretehee e leek plete termed. ef e 'bent .Strip ef metal adapted te be Permanently eef- ,ried by e link ef e ereueifel'ental' @heile etretehi and; e Ureheieeel link adepte@ bebe cenneet'ed te e tienevereie Chain, Stiefel@ and having the freev ends hook-shaped to enkgagethe lock plate.

' 5, lock fort-he replaceable chain Astretches in lanA anti-.skid device comprising ak closed link adaptedwto be part Vof a circumferential chain stretch of, said device, onefside of'said link carrying an enlargement formed by a U-shaped metalplate bent around a portion thereof, and a VU- Sheped link adapted te be fleteehebli een: nected to transverse chain stretch of said device and having kopen endstliereof hook Shaped., the heeke thereof being deeneegeable from the normal side, ofi'sali'd closed Chain link end 'adapted te .Slide ever end into engagement with said enlargement whereby when the hookV portions ofthe detachable link aie'in engagement with said enlargement, the disengagement of the hook link is prevented.

e@ A eheii ,lkleekine devee .fer en enti: skid chain comprising'a link" forming a closed loop having an enlargement on one Side thereof eemiefeng e plete permanently attached, tlierete ,and e Ueeheped erenY ended link having hooked ends in engagement with yplate vand undetachable relative to the closed link when in engagement with said plete f c In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my Signature- FRED n. RUQKMAN 

